Tag: Fabian el Gitano

Fabian el Gitano, a CMLL tecnico for the last seven years, passed away earlier today. Fabian, who gave his name as “Emilio Fabian Fernandez de Leon” when he lost his mask last year, died from a gunshot wound in his apartment. At this point, there are conflicting stories on the cause of his death, either suicide or murder. I’ve seen ages of 39, 40, and 41 listed for him tonight. (Edit: Notimex says it looks to be the result of a drunken dispute.)

Fabian, trained by Solar, first came to national prominence in IWRG as Los Strippers, and that’s the character he’s used during most of his career. Fabian was brought in to CMLL as part of the second Guapos U storyline. Fabian was written out of that group to instead become the first Mexico City version of Metro. That lasted only a year, and he returned to his Fabian stripper gimmick. Fabian never could get past the second/third level, but was a regular presence in both the normal CMLL cards and smaller arenas; he seemed to work Coliseo Coalaco more than any other CMLL guy when they were associated with the building. Fabian was also involved in conduction the CMLL Fashion Show at the last two Lucha Libre Expos.

Fabian’s biggest moment was this past July, when he lost his mask to Angel de Oro in July’s cage match. Fabian losing his mask was a bit of a surprise. It was also probably his best match in the promotion. Fabian had continued on unmasked, though he cut off much of his trademark long hair during the winter. Fabian’s last match was last Friday, losing in the segunda.

This year’s Infierno en el Ring was all about betrayal. Friends turned on friends to make their own escape. Hooligan took advantage of fellow Tuareg member Dr. X, Angel de Plata left Angel de Oro behind, Tiger Kid stopped Puma King from leaving even as he was leaving himself, Puma learned from this to pretend to help Angel de Oro only to backstab him in turn. The listing above is in reverse order of escape, and the final four were Histeria, Dr. X, Angel de Oro and Fabian el Gitano. Histeria abandoned his fellow rudo Dr. X, saving his own mask for another day and leaving him to the two tecnicos. Angel de Oro & Fabian el Gitano screwed up, Oro accidentally hitting Fabian. Doctor X betrayed the notion of his death feud with Fabian el Gitano, passed up a chance to finally settle it, and climbed out. That left Angel de Oro and Fabian el Gitano – two members of the same side forced to fight for the first time since CMLL has started running these matches. Angel de Oro won, and Fabian el Gitano was unmasked.

Fabian el Gitano is Emilio Fabian Fernandez de Leon, 38 years old, 16 years a wrestler, originally from DF. Fabian wasn’t one of the most likely to lose his mask, but it’s not a complete surprise. The only interesting part of the Dr. X vs Fabian feud was the lack of certainty who would lose. Fabian wasn’t and isn’t a young guy on the rise who would benefit from a springboard win, he’s a guy anchored to the same spot on the card as Dr. X and the two just happen to face each other a lot. Everyone’s quite aware his look and his personality far outstride his skill, and it really hasn’t changed much of the years. In recent years, CMLL’s has taken underperformed pretty boy luchadors and unmasked them to give them a fresh start (Mictlan) or scaled down their profile (Leono). We’ll see what plan they might have here, probably as soon as Fabian’s match on Tuesday, where he teams with the man who unmasked him.

(and, if you remember far enough back, Fabian’s face was exposed in a newspaper article just when the Guapos U story was starting; they did a segment on it at the time.)

Maximo replaced Super Porky. Mistico got someone with La Mistica.

Seductora replaced Mima, and Dalys replaced Luna.

On today’s CMLL TV show, this year’s CMLL Universal Tournament was announced. It’ll start on 07/30 and probably last over three weeks. Eligible champions, based on what titles were used last year:

Mascara Dorada – CMLL SL, CMLL Trios, Mex Trios

Negro Casas – CMLL Welter

Jushin Liger – CMLL Middle

Ephesto – CMLL LH

Ultimo Guerrero – CMLL Heavyweight; reigning Universal champ

Héctor Garza – CMLL Tag

Mr. Águila – CMLL Tag

La Sombra – CMLL Trios

La Máscara – CMLL Trios

Mephisto – NWA Welter

Averno – NWA Middle

Texano Jr. – NWA Light Heavy

Valiente – Mex Middle Welter

Volador Jr. – Mex LH

Metro – Mex Trios

Stuka Jr. – Mex Trios

16 is the perfect number for a tournament. They were at 14 before the title chagne on Friday.

Rey, Negro, and Felino could win the trios titles on Monday without upsetting this – it’s be 2 in, 2 out. That’d also make the tournament very rudo heavy. As is, it’s 9 rudos to 7 tecnicos. If a title is going to change hands, I think it’s more likely Mistico beating one of the Hijos de Averno rather than the trios shifting.

the Psycho Circuis talk to Dos de Tres about win 688. I believe at least 350 of those are against the Air Force.

Shocker & Mistico where wearing matching outfits. At least they were, until Mr. Niebla pulled Sombra’s mask for the DQ. Two straight weeks with those two in the finish, which should indicate next week’s main event. (It doesn’t, different direction.) The Mistico/Sombra best buddies bit is the programming equivalent of Chessman’s moonsault. There’s no teasing it, there’s no letting the fans anticipate the union, they just jumped ahead to being friends in such a way to make it mean less.

Semimain tecnico win is a slight upset.

Second match was a sweep for the tecnicos. Rudos ripped up masks in the first, but got pinned there and the second. This week, they were setting up a Fabian/Sensei vs Puma/Tiger mask match, just days after trying to get a Angel de Oro/Puma King feud over in press release. This feud is the opposite, all tease and no action. It’s like a booking version of Golidlocks and the Three Bears, except we don’t get that bed that’s just right too often.

Masked Warriors: the Lucha Libre USA group on MTV2 will be taping in the 18,000 seat Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on 08/07. Tickets are in the usual range, $20 at the cheapest, $58 for the closest. Since both tapings had everyone move closer to the ring, and neither of those tapings cracked 300 people (1/60th of capacity of this building), I’m thinking you should buy the cheap tickets.

The TV is going to have to be a huge, dramatic success for this show to work. AAA did not do well in similar size buildings, and they were coming in with more recognizable names. The other two tapings proved that just putting lucha libre on the billboard wasn’t enough to draw. This is all reliant on the TV show being something people really want to see live. The promotion and/or the network doesn’t seem that excited about the TV taped so far, or they wouldn’t have shown so little of it and so much of the AAA footage. I’d like to see everyone do well, but this is ridiculousness.

By my count, Masked Warriors doesn’t actually have enough tapings to make it to this 08/07 taping. At 3 episodes a taping, they’re out of footage by 07/27. There’s been no mention of a July taping and it sounds like there won’t be one.

Friday night AAA TV: It looks like neither Dos de Tres or AAA’s website made the trip to Carmen for the taping. When Dorian Roldan wasn’t busy arguing with Rob – I am not making that up – he did mention Alex & Christina won the mixed tag titles. There was talk in a recent Wrestling Observer about AAA being unhappy with Rain and Von Eerie likely getting her spot, and that seems to be the deal there. I’ve thought Blade was the lesser of the two Gringas Locas, but Rain has seemed to slip of late. Also, Halloween & Damian beat Jack & Rocky, as expected. I’ll do a separate post with full results if/when they come in.

I’d like to pretend that Dorian handed his phone off to someone, and actually did have better things to do during an AAA TV taping than to go back and forth with Rob on Aerostar. There’s surely dead time to do to tweet during an AAA show (that’s when I return emails), but you’d hope the guy who supposed to be running the place has his focus elsewhere. Maybe I’ve made a false assumption in this paragraph. I will say, it was a nice change of pace from Dorian’s normally quite boring twitter posts of complaining about travel and chatting back and forth with girls.

Ras de Lona did not have much news. Dragon Rojo’s injury is to his lower back. They played Mistico’s challenge to Lyger for a title match in Guadalajara, so that may actually be happening.

Perros del Mal hyped Heddi Karou (unknown guy from France, presumably a different group than the one Sangre Azteca works with), Naruto (Brazilian, I think, based on the phone number they left on the picture for who knows what reason; tough to research a guy with that name), Ragde and Pesdailla for the Lucha Libre Expo show. That sounds like a tag amtch.

Laredo Kid taught his first class at his wrestling school, with guest instructor Aerostar. Both pitch as something for the kids to do while they’re on summer vacation. Laredo mentions his brothers, also luchadors, will lead the classes when he’s not around. The plural is interesting, since we Oscuridad is the only brother we know of.

Guerrera turned out to be true to their word – they refused to fight each other during the match…at least until Fuerza surprised Juvi with an armbar to win a fall. After the match, the Guerreras turned on the ex-Guapos.

Latino is a Villalobos wrestler, a Latin Lover knock off. Dr. Cerebro still wants that title shot against Freelance. People trip over title shots in IWRG, I don’t know what’s taking that one so long.

There’s no big article places, but this week’s SuperLuchas also notes in a couple places that there’s a unhappiness with TV Azteca airing WWE SmackDown on Friday nights, feeling it could damage Arena Meixco business.

Villano V is livid with Mistico for trying to take away from his victory by suggesting there might have been a Villano switch. V5 doesn’t want to wait until next Anniversary, he wants to face Mistico right now – Mistico may be hurt but so is V5 – so he can take his mask and maybe break his leg.

Meanwhile, Blue Panther does not like the idea of a career vs career match with the Villanos.

Fabian el Gitano opened a gym yesterday, and the opening was well attended by CMLL wrestlers. I think I speak for everyone where I wish the gym is a tremendous success, to the point where Fabian is so busy counting his money that he no longer has a chance to wrestle. Interesting side notes: Dragon Rojo Jr. showed up as Diamante Negro for reasons he didn’t feel like explaining coherently (he says it was to be confusing, and it was) and Okumura showed up to remind Fabian they still have issues. Fabian vowed to break Okumura’s other arm given the chance, and promised to not lose like Mictlan if Diamante Negro ever put up his mask agianst his.

Villano III and Tinieblas (Sr.) talk to El Heralado de Tabasco. Tinieblas says he’s considering retiring, but he’d want to have a grand retirement show with eeveryone who he’s ever known. V3 says Atlantis and Ultimo Guerrero are little girls afraid he’s going to take their masks.

Not only do we have four matches (they’ve got a filler one for the 5th), but also Halcon Negro continues his non appearances. Ephesto and Virus working the opener doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense either, so maybe there’s more of a shuffle coming here.

The best part of this Halcon Negro lineup stuff is it’s not just some pre-release version of the lineup going out to the magazines, it’s what CMLL is posting on their website every week.

I finally get this feud, now that CMLL’s preview has taken me by the hand and walked me thru it.

Up till, say, three weeks ago, Dr. Wagner Jr. was confident he was The Best Wrestler In The World. Mistico had some big matches, Mistico won some titles, Mistico won some belts, but Dr. Wagner Jr. just thought he was a good kid who won a lot. (And his belt is bigger and shinier.) Wagner & Mistico made a good team when they teamed, but Wagner knew for sure that if they ever faced, he could swat the kid down, because he’s The Best Wrestler In The World.

Then, Mistico (& la Sombra) beat Wagner (& Purpura) and Wagner’s perspective on the world was shattered. It’s no wonder he joined the rudos, he had to join the rudos to face Mistico and he had to face Mistico to beat him. Wagner wasn’t looking to be a rudo full time, he was just looking for a way to prove he’s the best. He got the win in the the trios match, and then he grabbed a partner and beat Mistico in a tag match. And just because people thought he fouled Mistico, he’d do one more tag title match to unquestionably prove the point. When Mistico stole the win, Wagner was shattered again, and so we’ve come to this.

If Wagner wins, he can once again claim to be The Best Wrestler In The World (though the matter isn’t totally finished, especially if it’s not clean.) If Mistico wins, then what? The mask challenge, which probably won’t happen, for sure. Would they let Mistico wrestler for a heavyweight title?

Ovaciones has a preview of the show, as does ESTO and NOTIMEX, all focusing on the main event. ESTO says the trio of Averno, Mephisto and Ephesto “is more dangerous than Satan.”

El Sol de Tampico has a preview. Dark match opener is listed here Impluso & El Lince vs Disturbio & Arana Maligna. Note the main event is in a cage – I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Chessman will attempt suicide and be fine by the next taping. Show starts at 9 PM local time.

I’m picking Super Fly to continue his winning streak and take the high fliers match.

(ESTO) Monito suffered a nose injury, and underwent surgery on Monday. He’s supposed to be out 15 days,

ESTO reports a team of CMLL wrestlers will take on the cast of a night time TV in a TV music contest. The show’s called “En Busca de la Nueva Banda”, and the CMLL representatives are Fabian el Gitano, Nitro, Felino, India Sioux, Princesa Blanca, and Amapola. This MUST make it on to YouTube. I think this airs on Sunday.

Atlantis is filming a (direct to video) movie called “Atlantis al recate“. The movie is about using dolphin therapy for people with psychologically and neurological issues.

Rocky Mountina News interviews Psicosis II about the Warped Tour. SPOILER: They give away his real name in the second paragraph. I may have ruined lucha libre by linking to that.

Ovaciones and ESTO says Toscano, Heavy Metal, Blue Panther, Dos Caras Jr., Sagrado, Mascara Ano 2000 Jr., Terrible, and Rey Bucanero taped an episode of El Rival Mas Debil (The Weakest Link) for TV Azteca. Ovaciones goes onto a whole digression about Pierroth no-showing (maybe that’s why MY2K Jr. is on there) claiming to be in a car accident but was later seen around Arena Mexico and how these no-shows reflect bad on CMLL (which is true, but I’d start with complaining about the wrestling events they miss – see GDL results – before the TV cameos.)

The real story is – they still have The Weakest Link in Mexico? That seems so long ago. I think I saw a rerun of a show the other where someone was making a (horrible) reference to it and it seemed so dated, and it’s still on it Mexico, huh. In England and France too – I just remember it seemingly lasting six weeks in the US before it wore out it’s charm (yet still existed.) I’d totally watch this episode, of course, and I wonder if it’ll make it to Azteca America. I bet Panther won.

Shocker no showed the main event, and they must’ve known ahead of time because they bumped people around to accommodate. Sagrado moved up one, Mascara Purpura moved up one, Metatron got on the card. Jeque Watch: he pinned Metalik clean. Mascara Magica fouled Fabian el Gitano – that’s a feud that needs to stay in GDL.

Jeque Watch: he lost clean. Look at Artillero and Super Comando with an honest to god semifinal win. Ultimo fouled Marco to win, Marco challenged him to a singles match next week, and this feud is making it around the horn quite a bit. I guess they’re going to make a luchador out of Corelone or UG will die trying.

Main event was elimination style. Wagner pinned Atlantis, ended up getting his mask yanked by Atlantis and fouled by Park, but the ref wouldn’t count the pin. Park tried a figure four, Wagner small packaged him for the win. I wonder who booked this show.

Tercera was supposed to be a tag match with the youngsters, but Brazo and Coco got added and it turned into a comedy match. I’d be so annoyed if that happened. Mini Damian got Bam Bam with the Valagueza, but Dragoncito rallied back to beat both Mini FdT guys for the win – maybe that’s the match we’re building too?

ESTO also has an article about Santo in Spain. Also, Hijo de Santo is interviewed with Rumbo en Internet. If this is not a reprint of an interview I’ve already linked to, it’s close enough.

I have no idea who Niurka is, but apparently she’s a Mexican TV star who was special guest referee for Tuesday’s Arena Coliseo Monterrey show. It sounds like she acted like a complete goofball during the match, fell off the second rope when posing, and lost a (fake) nail when getting mobbed for autographs after the match. This required a hospital stay. Somehow, there are dozens are stories about this, including Rossy Moreno challenging her to a match. I presume it’s a Paris Hilton situation.

Perro dominated the first fall, and was on his way to winning the second when he yanked off Mistico’s mask, getting DQed. Mistico got a new one, and rallied back, getting a pinfall when the ref was down, and later getting La Mistica for the win. Ovaciones says we could see the hair match at the Dos Leyendas show, March 30 – so they’ve pushed it back another week?

La Mascara and Eclipse got hurt in their matches. Ovaciones recap hinted they were going to try Marco/Universo again next week.

Semimain had rudos beat the trios champs in a non-title match, but they’re actually setting up a Black Terry/Cerebro Negro title match there. Third match was said to be particularly good, which must mean it was 83% awesome and 14% Fabian el Gitano.

The cheap kids tickets filled up the arena, which telegraphs the main event finish. Check out the fall times for the main event, via Ocampo
1) 1:54
2) 3:11
3) 16:45

Uh huh. You can guess the finish, and it reads like a good match. Mistico challenged for the mask match again, and Averno was so frustrated, he accepted – but for the CMLL Middleweight Title match. That’s not on the schedule for next week, or at least so far.

Alexis posted the 01/12 lineup on box y lucha, and it’s off season-ish with no ongoing issues (though I can make up a few things.) Sangre and Koslov make it all the way up to the semimain (unless they ARE doing Mistico/Averno and they’re bumped down to a more reasonable spot.)

Other notes: Ultimo Guerrero fouled Dr. Wagner to draw the DQ in the semimain…Amapola had Lady Apache rolled up for the win in the second match (with a little help from the ropes), but Marcela turned over the pin. Amapola’s still looking for a title shot…Mini Damian yanked Tzuki’s mask to get the DQ in the opener.

It’s pretty impressive that I’m typing this, because I’m currently losing my mind. 12/22 was the taping that was never aired – except they absolutely positively had to go back to make sure we got our weekly match with those goofs (and not, say, just air the Volador/Averno match!) And that’s a Coliseo match which has like a 5% of being any good – did they save the main event for the non-existent FSE show? And the story of Black Warrior being unmasked, we sure haven’t heard about that any time recently, nooooo.

Why? Why? Is this spite? I’m sorry for whatever I did. Please stop.

Edit: Actually, that match is the same one they aired last week. Why? That makes even less sense.

Like this:

Another just okay segunda match, a long-ish main event – long enough that I should’ve gone back and see if I actually timed it correct – but nothing special here. I predict this will get a 0 for 2 on the F4 show.

I know CMLL’s roster isn’t this small, but it sure seems that way of late. It would improve things dramatically if, instead of showing a segunda with the same guys yet again, they’d mix it up and grab the opening match or the tercera.

speaking of TV: I watched the last half of AAA’s main event today (from the pre-GdT show), and reached two conclusions
– the matches still aren’t good (though seeing Cibernetico Hulk Up, complete with three punches, was entertaining in it’s own way)
– oh my gosh, Cibernetico’s super over. Especially with the girls. Like if there was no one booing Cena.

I mean, it may not be something I want to pay for, but it’s something a lot of people will be paying to see – if they can ride this wave in 2007, they’re going to be doing enormous business. The one missing piece is new opposition if Ricky is gone (or even if he isn’t, at some point it’ll be run into the ground). Shocker would’ve been perfect for this spot if he had stuck around, and Scorpio can’t quite replace him there. Konnan was pushed in a position where he’d normally be next, but obviously that’s not happening, and none of the Sect or TNA guys have built a individual presence that’d make it work. La Parka Jr. ain’t turning rudo. Pirata? Abismo? I dunno.

(FWIW, I think the idea of Bucanero jumping doesn’t work anymore. The spot is gone. Wagner or Silver King might be fun, but I don’t think either of them could stomach working rudo stooge to Cibernetico’s tecnico hero.)

If the Toluca crowd is any fair representation, though, Cibernetico’s so over, it may not matter who he’s facing.